Margaret Edmiston is not one to worry about things in life that may be out of her control.
Rather, she focuses on things within her control: staying physically active, determination, keeping up a positive attitude and “not really tackling stuff you can’t do anything about.”
That is how Edmiston, who lives in Durango six months out of the year to be with her daughter, Carol, was recently able to celebrate her 100th birthday on Sept. 22.
“I don’t sweat the small stuff,” she said.
She has experienced her share of tragedy, losing two husbands who died. But even after said losses, she kept moving forward. She did not want to be one of these “weepy people” who struggled to move forward because she had four children to take care of, and she wanted to make the most out of life.
In the late 1970s, Edmiston took ballroom dancing lessons. As the years went on, her passion for dancing and interacting with people continued – even finding time at an event this past summer to dance at Buckley Park. She loved to learn and try different things, from dancing and skiing to painting and poetry.
As a former real estate agent, she also drew elaborate designs of homes she listed, well before computers entered the picture.
“I like challenges, I like to learn, I like to grow and I like to have a great attitude,” she said. “Problems that are in my life, you just deal with them … You make the most of what you have, and you deal with it.”
She is the daughter of hardworking German immigrants, and she later worked in chemistry in her native Long Island, New York. With that came the will to work things through and to find an answer.
She said her mother, who didn’t immediately learn to speak English upon arriving in the United States, went to night school and instilled the belief that her family will learn and adapt in due time.
“It was that optimism that was in there and the determination,” Edmiston said.
Her father, who helped build homes, was “a doer” and perfected public speeches.
“My parents came over in their early 20s, had to learn English, had to create a business for themselves and work on their own, and they were very successful in what they did,” Edmiston said. “I think a lot of attitude is given to you as (a) subliminal manner from your parents on how they deal with bad things.”
And at age 100, Edmiston pushes forward – even if it’s simply going out for a walk every day or reading.
She focuses on keeping her body and mind going, however she can.
“A lot of women my age can’t hold a conversation, can’t understand what you’re saying or what you’re intending,” she said. “I like communication. I like to engage with people.”
mhollinshead@durangoherald.com
